1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic statistical recording device for tennis. More particularly, it relates to a device that analyzes a player's performance by tracking statistics within various categories of the game of tennis.
2. The Prior Art
In any competitive game, it is of great value to keep a reliable record of scores as the game progresses. In some games, particularly tennis, the scoring system is not as straightforward as simply counting a point score until a particular value is reached. In scoring tennis, the existence of a "deuce" or "advantage" condition may result in many alternating won and lost points until one of the players leads by two, concluding the game. A comprehensive solution to the needs of scoring a game such as tennis would necessarily involve a scoring device that may be small and light enough for the player to wear without discomfort or restriction of his playing skill.
In response to these needs, scoring devices have been developed for tennis which automatically identify the winning of a game and the subsequent increase in a player's set score. These devices, which also provide certain time-keeping functions, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,372 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,565. However, certain drawbacks still exist because while these devices accurately monitor the score, they are not able to analyze the player's game behind the score. For example, conventional scoring following a "deuce" condition does not indicate if the ultimate loser won any points before surrendering the game. The tally of games for determining set or match winners does not reveal how competitive or how close the individual games were. These limitations in the scoring system will be inherent in any device that simply tracks conventional tennis scores.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to analyze a player's game by tracking the absolute number of points won (or lost), and the manner in which they were won (or lost), independent of the actual game score. Such a device would provide insight to the player's game by recording that numerous points were won in various categories. A losing player could still derive pleasure and positive reinforcement by pointing to the number of aces or winners he or she had during the match. Such a device would be invaluable during practice since it could keep track of specific strengths and weaknesses. Such tracking is virtually impossible with standard tennis scoring which treats all points generically.